Abstract:
Background: Despite family planning services being free in Tanzanian government health facilities, there has been limited access of services among adolescents both male and female. Teenage pregnancies as well as denied fatherhood do still occur. Government policy assures free reproductive services to everyone but several obstacles contributed to the limited uptake of reproductive health services by adolescents. Objective: To explore factors influencing the access to Sexual and Reproductive Health services, their use among adolescents, and to provide recommendation to policy makers and stakeholders on improving the uptake of contraceptive methods in Tanzania. Methods: A literature review was conducted, the Anderson Model of health care utilization was used as a guide to analyse influencing factors. Findings: Health beliefs and Health care system factors are most likely to affect access and use of contraceptives methods among adolescents. Factors such as negative health beliefs, lack of choice for appropriate SRH services, gender inequality, limited knowledge of contraceptives and skills, poor family status among adolescents as well as negative attitudes among health staff to adolescents are identified gaps which are associated with poor use of contraceptives. Conclusion: Access of adolescent contraceptive methods used among adolescents is a critical point of research, and several factors are influential to the poor uptake of contraceptives services among adolescents. Health beliefs and Health care system factors found to be the main cause. Recommendation: The thesis discuses that, access to contraceptives use among adolescents is unlikely, government need to take ASRHR as a serious issue. The thesis provides recommendation at a policy, facility and community level to improve the health of adolescent.